Borderline personality disorder:experiences of diagnosis - version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do people with the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder experience the diagnostic process
IRAS ID
118038
Contact name
Zuzana Winter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University
Research summary
The current research attempts to explore how people with the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) experience the diagnostic process and how it relates to the views they hold about themselves. This issue is important in order to learn about ways in which the formal process of giving somebody the BPD diagnosis can be improved, with the hope of fostering an environment of trust and collaborative therapeutic alliance between service users and mental health professionals.
This issue is particularly important in the context of current mental health care provision for individuals with the diagnosis of BPD, with research showing that the BPD diagnostic process often fails to abide by the basic principles of humane clinical practice (Haigh, 2006; James & Cowman, 2007; Rogers & Dunne, 2011; Stalker, Ferguson, & Barclay, 2005). For instance, people frequently learn about their diagnosis by ‘accident’, such as reading about BPD in the discharge letters (Stalker, Ferguson & Barclay 2005, p. 6-7). This clearly points to existing failings in the BPD diagnostic process; something which is likely to jeopardize any potential for developing good relationship between service users and mental health professionals, hence negatively impacting on the service users’ subsequent adjustment to their diagnosis, whilst potentially leading to further stigmatisation.
Individuals with a recent diagnosis of BPD (within the last six months), good command of English and full capacity to consent, will be invited to take part in a one-off interview, lasting 60-90 minutes. As BPD seems to be most often identified in the 18-35 years age group, only participants within this age range will be considered for research. The interviewer will use a set of predetermined question areas to keep the interview on the research question. All participants will be under the care of one of three local assessment and treatment teams and a Psychoeducation Group (see below).
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1882
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jan 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion